Guests: Reid Stowe, Maxine Hoover; Topics: Preparing for a Mars voyage by doing a Mars ocean analog mission.
Please direct all comments and questions regarding specific Space Show programs & guest(s) to the Space Show blog which is part of archived program on our website, www.thespaceshow.com. Comments and questions should be relevant to the specific Space Show program. Written Transcripts of Space Show programs are a violation of our copyright and are not permitted without prior written consent, even if for your own use. We do not permit the commercial use of Space Show programs or any part thereof, nor do we permit editing, YouTube clips, or clips placed on other private channels & websites. Space Show programs can be quoted, but the quote must be cited or referenced using the proper citation format. Contact The Space Show for further information. In addition, please remember that your Amazon purchases can help support The Space Show/OGLF. See www.onegiantleapfoundation.org/amazon.htm.
We welcomed Reid Stowe with Maxine Hoover to the show to discuss his bold plan for Mars astronaut training by doing Mars ocean analog missions on a sailing schooner. Check out their website for additional information, https://marsoceananalogs.org. Reid and Maxine were with us to talk about the why and how of Mars astronaut training at sea. Once again, please follow the tags as they do a good job of providing you with the topics and subjects discussed on the program. For your convenience, I am repeating the tags below:
Tags: Reid Stowe, Maxine Hoover, Starship Schooner, Marsoceananalogs.org (Mars Ocean Analogs), human factors for Mars via the ocean, the Mars Ocean Odyssey, Why Mars on the ocean, inspiration, analog Mars mission description, Mars astronauts prepare for long duration human spaceflight challenges, The Longest Sea Voyage in History, exploring human psychology in the dangerous high performance life and death of the sea environment, ocean analog game plan, NASA, Moon vs. Mars, space settlement, mission supplies, growing plants, space psychology, isolation, technology, Venus, capsule size, ground stations, managing affairs, family and friends at home, Mars on the ocean, group dynamic, absorbing risks
Several of the discussion topics stood out. First, when Reid was asked about radio coms and communication gear on his ship, we learned that he was pretty close to bare bones on the technology. Don't miss this part of our discussion. While those doing the analog training on the sea mission would have little electronic gear, going to Mars would probably be quite different with every square inch of the capsule containing as much electronic gear as possible. Per some blog comments post the live broadcast, some listeners did not think this to be a valid approach since going to Mars would be highly technical. What do you think about training bare bones versus an actual Mars mission being loaded with tech. Please post your comments on the blog.
Another concern I had was how Reid cleared his mind for the voyage by not focusing on his affairs or people at home. He shared with us how he did that. He suggested such mental focus would ne needed for Mars. What do you think? We know that Mars mission planners are looking for ways to keep the crew connected to Earth and to their friends and families, even despite the communication lag time as they get more distant from Earth. Let us know your thoughts on Reid's approach to this issue though being on a sea voyage here on Earth would be different than going through space for hundreds of millions of miles to Mars. Comments on this are welcome on our blog.
Another topic I fought most interesting was the application of mindfulness and related topics for helping to sustain a healthy crew on the longer Mars trip. What do you think? Would NASA do mindfulness training?
Reid and Maxine are on shore in NYC should you want to contact them or be interested in one of their ocean analog missions. If you do an analog mission with them, please come on The Space Show and talk about it. We want to hear about your experience and your perspective on it being good Mars mission training. Keep in mind that Reid wants to skipper the first SpaceX humans to Mars mission but if the timing does not work out, he want to be pivotal in training those going on such a mission.
Please post your comments/questions for our two guests on the blog for this show. You can reach them both through me or their website.
The Space Show
